After your session with Jessica Strobel Photography, you’re going to get a proofing gallery. It’ll have your session images included, and there, you get to pick which images you want in your final package! Once those are edited, you’ll receive copies of them, and if you want, the process can stop there.

But… it doesn’t have to! There is SO much more you can do with your photos, no matter what kind of session you’ve had. If it was a branding session, then it’s definitely time for you to start putting things on social media, and working them into the materials for your business. But if you’ve had any other kind of session? That next step is PRINTING your images!

Now, of course, your pictures can be phone wallpapers, and you can post them on Instagram and Facebook, and I totally want you to do all of those things. (Bonus points if you tag @jessstrobelphotos!! Lol) But what’s even cooler than posting on social media? Hanging them on your WALL. Creating tangible reminders of those magical memories, for you, AND for your loved ones!

Why invest in printing your photos?

I talk a lot about why printing your photos is important, so I’m not going to get into the weeds with the details here, but I wanted to give you a couple of broad strokes. Because the thing is, social media is NOT permanent. Forget the fact that if you’re a business owner and you’re relying on social media for your content, you don’t technically own it… that’s a conversation for another day.

I’m talking about your PERSONAL profiles. Because we all know Facebook isn’t going anywhere anytime soon – but… I have ONE question for you that might um… give a little bit of perspective. Where are your MySpace pictures?? Am I right? Those things are LONG gone. If you weren’t a MySpace person, I’ll try not to judge, but once upon a time, we all posted pictures on there, and now… they’re history. And it would straight up suck if all of the photos of your family went the way that those images have gone. I think we can all agree that posting to Facebook… it just isn’t enough.

So what are the best products you can order with your images?

Albums

We’re going to start with the big one: printed photo albums! Now, when I say “albums” I’m not talking about the kind with the little sleeves you probably remember flipping through at grandma’s. Or maybe you put some together yourself back in the day!

When I say “Albums” I’m talking about luxury style, page-printed recaps of your session, laid out gorgeously. They fit into your home in a ton of different ways – from popped on your coffee table to flip through at the end of a long day, to displayed on your bookshelves in the livingroom!

The idea of an album of your session might sound intimidating, because it takes work to put those together, right? Well… yes and no. If you decide you want to lay out an album yourself and have it printed, it CAN be a ton of work. However, if you’re working with me, there’s actually a magical shortcut right in your gallery itself!! You’ve got three different options for albums you can order through your gallery, ranging from lay-flat albums (which are exactly what they sound like – when you open the pages, they lay flat!) all the way to thinner pages with a linen-wrapped cover. They’re all gorgeous, and they highlight your images perfectly!

But that’s not where it stops, either. This tool can actually save you time, too! If you don’t want me to lay out your album for you, and you’d prefer to have a little more control over what images are on which pages, you can tell the tool to generate a starting point for you, and then in just a few clicks, your album is ready to order. Test it out in your gallery, and see for yourself! It’s super simple, and super streamlined. So you can have all of the control over the look and feel of your final gallery, with exactly zero stress. Magical, right??

Metal Prints

If you spend time on the internet, I’d bet you’ve seen ads for those metal prints you can get as wall-art now. And if you have, you’ll already know what I’m about to tell you, but I’m going to go over it anyway!

Metal prints are basically the most durable of all possible methods for printing your images. They’re literally printed on a metal sheet, and not only does that make sure they’re going to stand the test of time, it also gives them a special kind of shimmer as a finished product! The ones you can order through your online gallery come equipped with hanging accessories (so you won’t have to figure out how to attach anything to the back) and are printed with ink that goes above and beyond where quality is concerned. They’re completely waterproof (I mentioned they’re metal, right?) and scratch resistant too! If you’re looking to hang an image in a bathroom or kitchen that gets steamy on the regular, these are a PERFECT solution to make sure nothing will get damaged.

Canvas Prints

Canvas prints are the most classic of all wall decorations, and there’s no arguing with that. Whether you choose to frame yours, or hang it without framing, they’re elevated slightly from the wall, they come in all possible sizes, and honestly they just bring magic to basically any space. Especially if you choose a larger size, because there’s no missing it when you walk into a room!!

If you’re thinking about canvas prints, I always recommend considering how you can pair them with our next option, to create a gorgeous gallery wall with some variation and personality. Remember that canvases ordered directly through your gallery come with two different options for the edges – white, or black. That means you can match them to the space you’re going to put them in, based on the rest of the decor you’ve got going on in there!

Standard Prints (For a gallery wall!!)

Now, like I mentioned… standard framed (or unframed!) prints can be matched up in a big ole set so that they create a gorgeous gallery wall for your home. You don’t have to use JUST standard prints for this, you can use metal prints or canvas prints as well, and you can get super creative with how you mix and match the textures.

The great thing about a standard print though, is it can be framed in whatever frame you like. Already got some lying around? Amazing, use those! Want to take a trip to Ikea and pick up a ton of them to order prints to fit into? Also a great plan. Maybe you’re more of a thrifter – honestly, it’s so cool to go thrifting, grab some frames super cheap, give ‘em a DIY spraypaint, and then use those to frame your images for your wall. At the end of the day, there’s about a million different ways you can format the gallery wall you want to put in your home, but if you’re going to want some variation in the way it’s set up, standard prints will be a must!

Get creative – these aren’t your only options for printing your photos!!

Seasonally, there are also other options available for the products and prints you can order from your session. For example, you can also order ornaments, or print folios, or really cool boxes with prints inside. You can get polaroid style print sets, or even go get super creative with your digitals on Etsy! There are tons of creatives (and companies, too!) who will put your images on mugs, or boxes, or bookends, or keychains, or jewelry, or christmas ornaments – if you can imagine it… it can have one of YOUR pictures put on there.

So get creative!! Your photos deserve to be enjoyed, on more than just your phone screen and your Facebook wall.

And of course, if you have any questions about printing your images, or the different options you have for products after your session – feel free to reach out! I’d also love to talk to you about designing the perfect gallery wall for your space. If you need some hand-holding through the process, we can make that happen!! As you know, I’m all about keeping things simple, and easy for YOU. And if that means an in-home consultation for gallery wall design… that’s what it means!